OLIVE PRESS
THE BEES KNEES
COSTA BLANCA
To honour World Bee Day, the Olive Press takes a dive into the world of the vital insects See page 14
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Vol. 6 Issue 157
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June 5th - June 18th 2025
AN American woman’s €2.5 million Marbella villa has been snatched from right under her nose - sold using forged papers from Mexico while she was away in Indonesia. Elizabeth, a yoga teacher and longterm resident, was horrified when tenants called her in August 2023 reporting men had broken into her home, smashing doors and disabling alarms. “They claimed they had a rental contract from a Mexican woman who doesn’t even exist,” Elizabeth said. “I hadn’t sold the house, never saw a penny, and was halfway across the world.” Her lawyer, Carmen Herrera, revealed the fraud began in 2018 with a forged power of attorney and fake passport created in Mexico. Yet Spanish notaries and land registrars failed to spot the fake documents - allowing the villa to be sold without her consent.
Crooked
Property expert Mark Stucklin slammed the system: “This was either gross negligence or a crooked notary. Forged documents should never have been accepted.” Costa del Sol lawyer Antonio Flores warned: “If someone walks in with a foreign POA to sell a home, notaries must be extremely suspicious.” This is the second major case the Olive Press has uncovered recently. Last edition, the OP reported that a Swedish woman had her Mijas apartment stolen using a forged Colombian power of attorney. Men posing as victims of fraud tried to evict her and even contacted her building’s administrator to claim ownership. Elizabeth said: “I’m trapped in a nightmare. After this, I’ll never buy property in Spain again.” For a full investigation see the next edition of the Olive Press
A VALENCIA court has sparked outrage after declaring that the deadly Campanar fire, which tragically claimed 10 lives, was simply an accident. With no criminal negligence found, victims’ families have blasted the decision, demanding accountability for what was the deadliest fire in the city’s history. The fire broke out on February 22, 2024, at around 5.30pm in a 14-storey residential complex in the Campanar district of Valencia. It began in an eighth-floor apartment and was caused by a leak of highly flammable isobutane refrigerant from a faulty fridge.
Victims
The fire spread quickly, fanned by winds of up to 100 km/h and fuelled by the building’s combustible aluminum composite cladding, which rapidly escalated the disaster. The blaze engulfed the building in a matter of minutes, with the intense heat and thick, choking smoke trapping many residents. A heroic concierge who raised the alarm by banging on doors and shouting ‘Fire!’ saved several lives. However, despite his efforts, 10 people perished in the blaze. Victims included an 82-year-old woman, a young couple expecting their first child, four members of the
CASH PROMISE: €30 million has been allocated to rebuild the devastated tower block
Fury as court clears all parties over horror blaze that killed 10 in Valencia By Dilip Kuner & Alex Trelinski
same family with two little children and a 14 year old girl. Some 15 people were hospitalised, including six firefighters and a child. Firefighters could only reach up to the 12th floor with the equipment they had, struggling against the extreme heat and the uncontrollable flames. Some people, including a father and daughter, were rescued from a balcony using an extendable fire ladder crane, while others on the floors above were caught in the chaos. The court’s 23-page report ruled that the fire was a tragic accident. It concluded that the cladding material used in the building’s construction, while flammable, was legal at the time of installation. The judge stated there was no evidence of criminal negligence from municipal officials, building inspectors, or any involved parties. “There has not even been a flicker of the existence of a crime or any alleged perpetrator,” the judge stated, further declaring that the tragedy was an accident beyond human control. Despite the plans for a €30 million reconstruction of the building, the families of the victims are furious at the court’s ruling. Many feel the tragedy could have been prevented if stricter safety regulations were in place, especially regarding the use of flammable materials
HORRIFYING: 10 people died in the blaze that reached temperatures of 1,000 C in buildings. The building was clad with AlucoA spokesman for the APROICAM bond panels, a type of aluminum pressure group, which is supporting composite material with a polyethvictims, said: “We cannot accept this ylene core - a material known to be ruling. The victims were failed by Continues on Page 4 those entrusted with their safety. We will continue to fight for justice, for the families and for the peoYOUR REAL ESTATE AGENCY FOR BENISSA, CALPE, MORAIRA ple who died that 966 112 428 · areacostablanca.com night.”
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